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Will this winter ever end? Three months of shovelling snow, pushing cars and scouring the neighbourhood for road salt has certainly tested my Canadian mettle. It also builds the kind of appetite that only a Canadian dish can satisfy.

A Canadian dish, you say?

No, I'm not talking about poutine or Beaver Tails. This country has fostered some cuisine that doesn't come out of a deep fryer. I'm talking about a bowl of thick, hearty pea soup that warms the toes and nourishes the soul.

Pea soup is most commonly associated with Quebec, where an authentic version would be made with whole dried yellow peas, salt pork and herbes salees, a unique condiment of fresh herbs preserved in salt. Newfoundland also boasts of a pea soup made with root vegetables and fluffy dumplings called doughboys.

My pea soup is Qu�©b�©cois in spirit, but I use green split peas, which is sacrilege in the Belle Provence.

It's easy, economical and freezes really well.

If you don't eat pork, you can substitute a smoked turkey drumstick or thigh for the ham hock. For a vegetarian pea soup, omit the ham hock, use homemade vegetable stock instead of water and add a teaspoon of Spanish smoked paprika. Unfortunately these versions lack the lip-smacking "je ne sais quoi" that you can only get from a ham hock.

Soupe aux pois (Qu�©b�©cois pea soup)

Yield: eight to 10 servings

3 bay leaves

12 black peppercorns

3 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs Italian parsley

1/4 cup butter or vegetable oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 3/4 cups yellow or green split peas, picked over and rinsed

1 smoked ham hock (about 1 1/2 lbs)

12 cups water

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut a seven-inch square of double-layered cheesecloth. Place the bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme and parsley in the middle. Gather up the ends and tie the spice bag with kitchen string. Trim the excess string and cheesecloth.

In a large pot, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the split peas, ham hock, spice bag and water.

Bring to a boil over a high heat and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas have dissolved into a thick puree, about two hours. Turn off the heat and remove the ham hock to cool. Discard the spice bag and season the soup with salt and pepper.

When the ham hock is cool enough to handle, remove and dice the meat, discarding any fat and bone. Return the ham to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes.

If the soup is too thick for your liking, thin with a bit of water. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Ladle into warm bowls and serve.